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Criticism of the Inheritance Cycle
Anti-Eragonism refers to opposition towards the Inheritance cycle. The movement is largely comprised of people who believe that Christopher Paolini is a writer of less than average skill. Various groups and websites have been founded for this purpose since the first book, Eragon, was published. Derivative Similarities to Tolkien Many Anti-Eragonites hold that some of the story’s aspects come directly from J. R. R. Tolkien. The elves of both Tolkien and Paolini are tall, beautiful, immortal, and have keen senses. Additionally, these elves have strong bonds with nature and some live in the trees (elves would suck if they were anything else). As some Elves returning to Middle-earth in Tolkien’s legendarium, Paolini’s elves came from a land over the seas (completely different, because humas also do), do not sleep, and the only way to death for them is through a wound or heartbreak (obviously). Another similarity is the quote of Paolini’s elvish queen Islanzadi, “I am diminished” and the quote of the Tolkien’s elven Lady Galadriel, “I will diminish.” (perfect elf queen for the story) Critics also see similarities in the dwarven race. The concept of a gruff, mining race is found in the works of both authors (once again, dwarves would suck if they were anything else). The elves and dwarves in both cases do not get along (both for different and good reasons). Some peoples means that its wrong to change the Culture and Life-style of an hole race. But the Elves and Dwarves in Paolinis books are very alike with Tolkiens elves and dwarves. Many also see the forbidden love between Arya and Eragon as a reproduction of the love between Arwen and Aragorn. In addition to the good races of Alagaësia and Arda, “antis” also find similarities in the evil races. Many have made comparisons between the Ra’zac and Nazgûl (barely). Comparisons have also been made with the Urgals and Orcs as well as their elite counterparts the Kull and Uruk-hai (ok, but with this kind of fantasy world what else should there be?). Anti-Eragonites furthermore believe that Paolini directly copied names from the works of Tolkien or just switched some letters around. *'Angrenost' – king of the Broddring Kingdom :*'Angrenost' – Elvish name for Isengard *'Ardwen' – lake of Alagaesia :*'Arwen' – elven noblewoman *'Eragon' – hero of Inheritance. :*'Aragorn' – a hero of The Lord of the Rings. *'Celbedeil' - a dwarvish temple :*'Celebdil' - a peak of the Misty Mountains *'Ceranthor' – an elvish monarch :*'Caranthir' – one of the sons of Fëanor *'Elessari' – a member of the Council of Elders :*'Elessar' – title of Aragorn *'Eridor' – a former dragon :*'Eriador' – a region of northern Middle-earth *'Furnost' – minor town in Alagaesia :*'Fornost' – a deserted city in Middle-earth *'Hadarac' – a desert in Alagaesia :*'Harad' – a desert in Middle-earth *'Imiladris' – an elvish queen :*'Imladris' – the Elvish name for Rivendell *'Inzilbêth' – the province where Galbatorix was born :*'Inzilbêth' – a queen of Númenor *'Isenstar' – a lake of Alagaesia :*'Isengard' – a large fortress of Middle-earth *'Melian' – a town of Alagaesia :*'Melian' – a minor goddess and queen of Doriath *'Mithrim' – part of the name of a stone art piece :*'Mithrim' – a land of Beleriand *'Morgothal' – fire god of the Dwarves :*'Morgoth' – the evil god appearing in The Silmarillion *'Vanilor' – a former dragon :*'Valinor' – the homeland of the elves and gods Similarities to Lucas “Antis” also claim that the plot line of Eragon is similar to that of Star Wars. Other Similarities Other than The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, Anti-Eragonites have found other similarities elsewhere. The character of Elva has often been compared to the character of Alia Atreides from the Dune series. In the series Dragonriders of Pern, the dragons choose their riders and speak to them telepathically, as they do in Eragon(stated influence, completely different plots). The dragon Tiamat also speaks telepathically in the book Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. The naming scene in Eragon is almost word-for-word from the naming scene in Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. The beginning of Eragon resembles the beginning of Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World, and the end resembles that of The Dragonbone Chair. The scene when Eragon and Brom cross the bridge in Therinsford has an equivalent in the Elenium. Some critics state that Inheritance is derivative of Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia, although such claims are not factual. There are also similarities to Edding's Belgariad series, in the passage in which he learns to take energy from his surroundings. It should also be reminded that authors often "borrow" ideas from other writers (paying their respect). And that the tales from The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and many other fantasy books and films are extremely integrated into the popular culture, often leading to authors unintentionally using plot lines from their favourite childhood books and screen plays (awesome elements of plot, would be a waste to use them in only one story). Unrealistic (The guy was 15 when he started writing this. jeez, give him a break.) Warfare The warfare and weaponry of Alagaësia has also come under scrutiny. Many noticed that the sword, Zar'roc, was five feet long and worn at the waist. This would have been far too large for a teenage boy. However, it seems in later editions the length of the sword was changed to three and a half feet. Some other critics believe that golden armor. Some fans claim that the armor itself is a stronger metal covered with gold plating or gold paint. Additionally, many feel that the massive poisoning carried out by Angela is unrealistic. Critical readers also noticed the lack of archers or cavalry among the ranks of the Empire.(Though Eragon's dream about the battle earlier in the book did mention black arrows flying overhead.) The trebuchets have also been the object of criticism, as they are used on a battlefield. This is highly ineffective as trebuchets are meant as siege weapons. "Anti" also feel that the description of the battles leave out the horrors of war and in a way glorifies fighting. Language "Antis" also have found errors in both the story’s pseudo-archaic language and the Ancient Language itself. The bits of archaic English, such as aye, thee, thine, etc., are often used incorrectly. On page 367 in Eldest, Orik says, “What has put me in mine state?” “Mine” was only used before vowels, and thus this usage is incorrect. It is possible that because Orik was drunk on faelnirv, this mistake could justified. However, "mine" is also used incorrectly on page 78 of the Eldest hardback edition: "Mine king, Hrothgar, desires that I present this helm as a symbol of the friendship he bears for you." In this passage Orik is sober and consciously using the word incorrectly. Additionally, the peoples of Alagaësia make a distinction between the pronouns thou and you, one being familiar and the other being respectful. However, many times they use both of these pronouns in the same sentence which is highly improper. Many critics believe this to be a result of lack of research on the part of the author. The Ancient Language itself has no distinct grammatical structure and this has become subject to further criticism. On pg. 294 in Eldest it reads: “You blessed a child in the ancient language?” asked Oromis, suddenly alert. “Do you remember how you worded this blessing?” “Aye.” “Recite it for me.” Eragon did so, and a look of pure horror engulfed Oromis. He exclaimed, “You used skölir! Are you sure? Wasn’t it sköliro?” Eragon frowned. “No, skölir. Why shouldn’t I have used it? Skölir means shielded. ‘…and may you be shielded from misfortune.’ It was a good blessing.” “That was no blessing, but a curse.” Oromis was more agitated than Eragon had ever seen him. “The suffix o forms the past tense of verbs ending with r and i. Sköliro means shielded, but skölir means shield. What you said was ‘May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune.’” There are two problems with this explanation of the Ancient Language. Oromis says that skölir means shield and that you add –o to make it past. Shield in this case is a noun as evidenced by the translation, “a shield”; therefore, it cannot have a past tense. Some fans say that this is because "shield" can be a noun and a verb, as in English. If this is the case, many feel that this shows another example of the author translating the English language word for word without giving thought to the wide range of semantics. It has also been noted that by adding –o he did not make it past but made it passive. The phrase “be shielded” is in the present passive and not the past active. Another minor complaint is the use of names such as Islanzadí, Ra'zac, and Zar'roc which some feel look out of place in a Norse-based language. These names and others are also filled with seemingly useless diacritics, for Paolini has not clarified what they mean. Science In random places throughout the series, the subject of scientific investigation is brought up. In one scene, King Orrin claims that by mixing phosphorus and water he came up with “quite violent” results. In actuality, phosphorus is often stored in water because water is one of the few substances with which phosphorus doesn’t react. King Orrin also seems to invent a vacuum in a process which is almost identical to that process used by Evangelista Torricelli. This short focus on science seems out of place in a medieval fantasy world. The rest of Alagaesia is in a very primitive state, yet King Orrin seems to be doing experiments that are more fit for the 17th, 18th, or 19th centuries. Domia abr Wyrda The Domia abr Wyrda from the Deluxe Edition of Eldest has not been free from criticism. Some find it full of inconsistencies and contradictions. The Domia abr Wyrda was supposedly written by a Heslant the Monk. However, no monastic organization was ever described before, and no human religion, other than the Worshipers of Helgrind, has ever been identified. This argument was proved groundless in Brisingr, however, when the Arcaena were introduced. The Worshipers of Helgrind have a cathedral, which some claim sounds out of place in a fantasy world. The Empire eventually burned Heslant as a heretic, though the Empire has no state religion. Many Anti-Eragonites consider this to be puzzling. They also question the random evil acts done by wicked kings. The Emperor Galbatorix burned libraries, and King Palancar attacked the Dragon Riders, both for no reason other than just being mad. However, this is incorrect; it was stated that Galbatorix only burned the libraries after moving the books to his personal collection, and King Palancar was trying to expand his borders when he declared war upon the elves. Lastly, some find that the piece as a whole is not at all academic and sounds more like the rest of the book. Other Inconsistencies (that are in fact NOT inconsistencies) Other, more minor inconsistencies have been noticed in the series. When she was attacked, Arya magically transports the egg to the Spine. However, critics point out that if she possessed this ability, she could have transported the egg in the first place and not made the journey. However, given the amount of energy needed to teleport even a dragon egg, and also that the Twins stated that transporting an object is an imprecise act and frequently misses by a wide margin, this does not seem to be an actual error. -Not to mention the wards around Du Weldenvarden that prevents magic from penetrating the forest, thus making the anti-theory possibly incorrect about being able to transport the egg without making the trip. Also, the book repeatedly informs the reader that Garrow is poor. However, Roran and Garrow are found eating chicken for breakfast, and Garrow is using his money to buy trinkets. (The book never mentions Garrow buying any trinket.) Many critics believe this to be unrealistic, but it isn't if you consider that Garrow has several chickens in his barn, and Eragon just brought home a pack full of different meats, which the chicken might have come from. "Garrow put the year's money in a leather pouch that he carefully fastened to his belt." By trade, Garrow's family were farmers, and did benefit from their work and does buy and sell to support the farm, whats left saved for needed items. This does not seem to be an error either. Also in Carvahall, there is the butcher shop of Sloan. The author describes it as being scrupulously clean. Many ‘antis’ hold that butcher shops are not clean, especially ones in a medieval setting. The definition of "clean" is questioned here, and the fact that the section is written in Eragon's point of view needs to be called. Medieval definition of clean, said by a farmboy in a medieval setting -Thus this may not be an error. In the beginning of Eldest, the character Elain is five-months pregnant. At the end of the novel, she is pregnant with the same child. However, antis claim, Eldest begins and ends in spring, making this impossible. However, it seems likely based on information given in both Eldest and Brisingr that Eldest only took place over the span of a few months (Beginning in early spring and ended right before summer begins), thus making it possible. Some point out that Thorn's ability to breath fire (which dragons cannot do until they are six months old) at the end of Eldest is proof that Eldest occurs over nearly a year, but since Thorn is being manipulated by magic to grow unnaturally fast, such a point is meaningless. Additionally, the elves are strict vegans; they refuse to eat meat and use animal products. Despite this, Arya is seen wearing a leather suit in Eragon. However, the leather could have been taken from a cow or other similar species that had died from natural causes. It is also possible that the elves did not obtain the leather themselves, but traded for it from the dwarves or Varden, and for some reason this does not go against their beliefs. As revealed in Eragon, Morzan threw his sword at a three-year-old Murtagh. Also in the synopsis at the beginning of Eldest and Brisingr that Brom and Jeod stole the egg twenty years ago and killed Morzan in the process. However, Murtagh's 'last birthday' as of Eragon was his eighteenth, which would put his birth a year or two after Morzan's death if the ‘twenty years’ number is correct. Thus, if the ‘twenty years’ is not just an estimate or a ‘rounded up’ number of years (like saying 'last decade' to mean 'seven years ago'), it is impossible for Morzan to have thrown his sword at a three-year-old Murtagh. Critics believe this to be yet another mistake the author has made. However, it is not actually a mistake when examined closely, because early in Eldest, right before Eragon enters Tarnag, Orik states that Morzan died decade and a half ago, about fifteen years before the events of Eldest, thus making it possible for Morzan to be their father. Arya apparently said that she had not visited Du Weldenvarden for seventy years, but she invited Rhunon-elda to the Midsummers Feast three and a half years ago. This appears to be an inconsistency. However, Arya does state that she returned to the elves for brief periods once a year, in order to bring Saphira's egg back to the elves, and the Feast could have happened at this time. Again, this is a misinterpretation however, as what Arya actually says is that she has not seen or talked to her family in 70 years, since her mother banished Arya from her presence once she took the yawe tatoo. Since her job was transporting Saphira's egg between the Varden and the elves, it is ridiculous to claim that she had not been to Du Weldenvarden in all that time, as that is the only place in Alagaesia where elves reside. In the book Brisingr Saphira shows Eragon a memory of Brom, where he speaks like a father to Eragon. In this memory, Brom wears his ring Aren. This is impossible since Brom has sent Aren to Ajihad together with his news about Eragon, but the memory could have been recorded before the attack. Also, if Brom had had Aren with him at the moment of the Ra'zac attack, he could have healed himself easily. In the book Eldest, when Oromis and Eragon have a conversation about the Ra'zac, Eragon comes to the conclusion that the winged creatures are the Ra'zac's parent, yet it is claimed he has never before seen one of the winged Lethrblaka. That is not true, for the Ra'zacs mounts have been mentioned many times in the book Eragon. "This crossroads has to be large enough so the Ra'zac will be inconspicuous. It also has to have enough trade so any unusual requests special food for their mounts, for example will go unnoticed." -Brom. The evidence of the Ra'zac's parents helped Eragon, Brom, and Jeod decide apon the location of the Ra'zac's hideout. However, Eragon's claim is actually correct since his wording was that he had never "seen" the mounts. Brom and Eragon found evidence of the creatures who left large claw marks like Saphira's in the ground at the same location they lost the Ra'zac's tracks. This gave them the theory that the Ra'zac had large, flying, dragon-like mounts, even though they never actually saw the mounts themselves. Writing Style The criticism of the Inheritance Cycle is not limited to inconsistencies and imitation. The writing style of Christopher Paolini has also come under question. Many feel that the writing is emotionless and unable to make the readers feel for the characters. His portrayal of Eragon, some believe, is unrealistic, and that Eragon does not cope with situations like a real human would. Additionally they believe the writing style is excessively ornate and flowery, such as this example from Eldest: '' “Every day since leaving the outpost of Ceris was a hazy dream of warm afternoons spent paddling up Eldor Lake and then the Gaena River. All around them, water gurgled through the tunnel of verdant pines that wound ever deeper into Du Weldenvarden. Eragon found traveling with the elves delightful. Narí and Lifaen were perpetually smiling, laughing, and singing songs, especially when Saphira was around. They rarely looked elsewhere or spoke of another subject but her in her presence. However, the elves were not human, no matter the similarity of appearance. They moved too quickly, too fluidly, for creatures born of simple flesh and blood. And when they spoke, they often used roundabout expressions and aphorisms that left Eragon more confused than when they began. In between their bursts of merriment, Lifaen and Narí would remain silent for hours, observing their surroundings with a glow of peaceful rapture on their faces. If Eragon or Orik attempted to talk with them during their contemplation, they would receive only a word or two in response.” '' The verbosity of this passage and others is the reason that many have the opinion that Paolini over describes certain settings or characters to their liking. Although, this passage could be written so because of the vision he is trying to create in the reader's mind. He uses eloquent vocabulary to show what it was like for Eragon to travel through the "dream-like" realm of the elves.